How did your spending change?

[JB 883]

My first full year of quit was Oct 6th but my first calendar year will be of course Dec 31st.

One thing i have done for years is keep track of my spending. Two categories used to be "cancer" and also "dumb shit" (relatively needless purchases like entertainment stuff)

 

Of course for 2018 there was no "cancer". I noticed though at the end of this year, my "dumb shit" spending wasn't really much higher on average than previous years if i were to add my "cancer" and "dumb shit" together.

 

I kind of have a habit of using the excuse "At least it isn't cigarettes" when buying silly little things. I am not like some hoarder but there are a couple things I enjoy. Nothing that will ruin my health at least.

 

When you quit, how did your spending change? Did quitting end up being an excuse for other frivolous purchases or..?

 

[WeegieWoman]

My spending changed for sure. More spending on clothes, pamper sessions, better hotels, better restaurants. Also saving more and still more money in the current account as well!!!! It's pretty amazing and a massive bonus to quitting. 

[sgt.barney]

Thousand of dollars a year on smokes ... and yet there is no extra money by quitting. 

It's all spent on travel to the world's premier climbing locations ... and climbing gear.

A much healthier hobby. 

Suprisingly: considerably safer, too. 

EZPZ

Edited December 20, 2018 by sgt.barney

[Doreensfree]

Quitting for me was never about the money..... It was about saving my two plates of meat ( London slang for two feet )...

But as time past I began to feel the benieft of health and money....

Going for a Mediterranean cruise in May....could,nt have done that if I still smoked ...your kinda limited when your feet have dissapeared.....

[Martian5]

Spending has not really changed other than all the money I have saved since quitting (and as said before I have all that money at this time waiting until the 1 year anniversary to figure out what to splurge on!!!).

[JB 883]

 

15 hours ago, WeegieWoman said:

 More spending on clothes, pamper sessions

 

Weegie, it looks like we speak the same language   PREACH IT!

 

9 hours ago, sgt.barney said:

Thousand of dollars a year on smokes ... and yet there is no extra money by quitting. 
It's all spent on travel to the world's premier climbing locations ... and climbing gear.
A much healthier hobby. 
Suprisingly: considerably safer, too. 
EZPZ

 

Safer. Probably more rewarding for your health to climb too.

 

9 hours ago, Doreensfree said:

Quitting for me was never about the money..... It was about saving my two plates of meat ( London slang for two feet )...

But as time past I began to feel the benieft of health and money....

Going for a Mediterranean cruise in May....could,nt have done that if I still smoked ...your kinda limited when your feet have dissapeared.....

 

So you have mentioned a few times about saving your feet. I am just wondering, if I haven't asked yet - when your doctor layed that bit of news on you about possible foot amputation if you did not give up the cancer sticks, how did you handle that news? I mean to be told that - HOLY SHIT that would be like, one's heart would just drop to the floor.

 

9 hours ago, Martian5 said:

Spending has not really changed other than all the money I have saved since quitting (and as said before I have all that money at this time waiting until the 1 year anniversary to figure out what to splurge on!!!).

 

So you set aside that money in a separate savings? I am tempted to ask how much but that would be nosy. And holy crap martian, I remember when you sent me a PM about coming up on your three month mark and the battle that may ensue. But NOW you have just two weeks, two weeks til you hit a SOLID YEAR. Congrats, I mean you might as well say it is done.

 

I never set my savings aside, i kind of dwindled it on other silly things but yeah now i think, "I should have set it aside". Would have only been about $500 (I smoked RYO so they were cheap) but anyways...

[notsmokinjo]

14 hours ago, Jet Black said:

I never set my savings aside, i kind of dwindled it on other silly things but yeah now i think, "I should have set it aside". Would have only been about $500 (I smoked RYO so they were cheap) but anyways...

 

I wish I had set mine aside too.... we are talking 1000s people...

[Doreensfree]

My Heart did hit the floorJB....thats why I quit and stayed quit....no romancing the cig here....!!!!!

[notsmokinjo]

But my spending changed, I bought the good cuts of meat..... I bought the fancy ingredients not the home brand.... and when I was unemployed for a few months there I managed to make $5000 support me, a kid, 3 dogs and 2 cats for 4 months and pay bills too.... if I had still been smoking well probably not,

[Martian5]

JB if you look at my ticker it is pretty close to right, a couple of hundred more.  Guess this is a good problem to have trying to figure out what to do.

[notsmokinjo]

I know.... you could come to Aus to visit me and CbDave! So lets just say its about $3100 come the Lido Moment... in Aussie money thats $4,403.66 ... allowing for the transfer fees.... or you could have a real Lido Cruise moment.... or you could do some renos to the house and every time you look at them you could get that kick of pride because your tenacity and determination lead to that... well done buddy...

 

[Doreensfree]

19 minutes ago, Martian5 said:

JB if you look at my ticker it is pretty close to right, a couple of hundred more.  Guess this is a good problem to have trying to figure out what to do.

 

I'm sure it will be very special and meaning full....I carnt wait to hear ,what you decide to do....fabulous darling !!!....

[notsmokinjo]

Oh I know... by yourself a very expensive watch and then every time you check the time you will be reminded just how you earnt the watch and it will be yep.... not smoking is good.

[Sparky]

When I quit (and previously as a smoker) I rented my place. The next year I bought my own house, and what I paid for in rent + $ that I spent monthly on cigarettes = a monthly house mortgage (including insurance), with change to spare.

 

Able to afford being a homeowner. It's one of the top of 5,325,263,902 reasons to quit smoking. 

[Reciprocity]

Let me ask my wife how her spending habits changed once I quit smoking. I'll get back to you on that.

[notsmokinjo]

On 12/22/2018 at 9:35 AM, Sparky said:

When I quit (and previously as a smoker) I rented my place. The next year I bought my own house, and what I paid for in rent + $ that I spent monthly on cigarettes = a monthly house mortgage (including insurance), with change to spare.

 

Able to afford being a homeowner. It's one of the top of 5,325,263,902 reasons to quit smoking. 

 

^^ Awesome redirection of funds... well done on having such a wonderful quit reward. That is brilliant, and inspiring.

[Kate18]

What I've saved for the past two weeks (since Dec 12 quit)  will cover what I will lose in pay next week. I am taking unpaid vacation time to visit my new granddaughter back east (USA).

When I think of smoking in terms of hours & minutes of work per pack of cigarettes....disbelief. 

Normally, the money will go to my retirement account.

[Stewie]

Coffee.